The present invention relates to a safety device and, in particular, to a safety device for preventing injury or damage caused by the pendulum swinging of hoist spreaders upon the release of such spreaders from the object which has been hoisted.
Essentially, spreaders are generally cables or chains depending from the ring or the like at the top ends thereof and provided with large hooks at the bottom ends thereof for gripping engagement with the object to be hoisted.
A hoisting crane is attached to the spreaders by a hoisting line and the hooks are positioned in gripping engagement with an object to be lifted.
After the object has been hoisted and lifted to a desired location, the hooks are disengaged from the object and, many times, are permitted to swing like pendulums in a very dangerous fashion.
Such spreaders often present a length of approximately 30 feet and are provided with hooks that have substantial weight. The objects hoisted by such spreaders often are as wide as 50 or 60 feet. Consequently, when the spreaders are released from such an object and permitted to swing through their 30 foot lengths, substantial property damage or personal injury may be sustained as a result of the impact of the hooks.